Move In

The day the Residence Halls open for you to move in will be a important day in your life. A little advance thought will go a long way toward ensuring a smooth process. Opening Day for the College residence halls for each academic year is announced in spring quarter of the prior academic year. It will not be possible for you to visit or occupy your assigned room until Opening Day. If you find it necessary to arrive in Chicago before Opening Day for any quarter, you should make hotel reservations well in advance.

Students known as House O-Aides will be available to assist you upon arrival to ensure that the move-in process runs as smoothly and quickly as possible. The House O-Aides will be wearing special T-shirts to help you identify them. They can help you unload your car and carry boxes to your new room.

Carts will be available to assist you with your move. The House O-Aides will be in charge of carts and can provide one as you unload in the designated unloading area. Once you arrive at your room, the cart will need to be immediately unloaded and returned to the check-in area. Please remember that Burton-Judson and Snell-Hitchcock do NOT have elevators. Please be thoughtful about packing boxes and bags so that the O-Aides can help carry them upstairs to your room.

Be prepared to share the name of the House where you will be living – there are two drop-off areas and you will be directed to the closest one. In addition to helping you move your belongings, House O-Aides will be on the curb in front of Burton-Judson to answer questions and provide general assistance. They can point you towards the front desk inside Burton-Judson, where you will be able to pick up your keys, learn how to get to your new room, and receive instructions for the rest of the day. You will have time to unpack before checking in for Orientation during the afternoon.

While moving in, you are likely to run into various Housing & Residence Life Staff as they will be walking around welcoming people to the House and answering any questions. Be sure to introduce yourself and your family to them. There will also be signs directing you to the Resident Head apartment in your House.

If you have one or more roommates, those names and email addresses will appear on your room assignment confirmation. We encourage you to contact your roommate directly to get to know one another and plan for what kind of communal items you each may decide to bring (e.g. refrigerator, tv). If your roommate(s) has claimed their CNet ID (UChicago email account), we will also include that email address on your confirmation notice. It is our policy to not share phone numbers.

Please ensure that you talk with your prospective roommate(s) about your living preferences (guests, sharing of items, sleep schedules, study habits, cleaning, etc.) and have conversations that allow each of you to set boundaries and deal with issues before they happen. Keep in mind that you don’t have to be best friends with your roommate(s) and/or suitemates in order to have a successful living arrangement.

As you prepare for your move to campus, we ecourage you to take a look at our What to Bring & Prohibited items list to help you decide which items to bring to campus and which to leave at home. Please note that all student rooms in the Residence Halls are carpeted except for those in International House and a few in Burton Judson.

All Halls are equipped with coin and credit/debit card operated washers and dryers, access to streaming TV service, and computers and printing. Vacuum cleaners, irons, and ironing boards are available for student check out and use from the residence hall front desk. Ice makers are located in all Residence Halls.

FAQs

Can I see my room before move in?

No. Residence Halls are closed to students until the move in date.

Can I move in early?

No. Students may not move into or occupy their assigned room prior to the scheduled move in date and time. If you are planning to arrive to Chicago prior to the scheduled move in day, please make approporiate off campus lodging reservations in advance.

Can I ship things to my Residence Hall prior to move in?

Yes. If you are planning to ship your luggage and belongings in advance you can send them the Monday prior to move in day. If we receive items prior to this day, they will be returned to sender. Please address all shipments to yourself and your residence hall address and mark them HOLD FOR ARRIVAL with your move in date. All items received will be stored in the storage room of your residence hall. When you arrive you will be able to claim your belongings.

What is my mailing address?

Your mailing adress is the address of your Residence Hall. All mail and/or packages should be addressed to you with your Residence Hall address and room number. Building names or simply “The University of Chicago” is not sufficient for the US Post Office, and mail addressed in this manner will be returned to sender. An address should read: